Colts OL Matt Slauson risked paralysis by playing with broken vertebrae

Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Matt Slauson played through an injury in last Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots, and he clearly had no idea how serious it was.

The Colts announced on Monday that Slauson has been placed on injured reserve, which came as a surprise to anyone who watched him play in Week 5. When Slauson was examined by doctors after the game, he learned that he broke two vertebrae in his spine early in the third quarter and actually risked paralysis.

Backstory on Matt Slauson's scary injury: Broke 2 vertebrae in his spine early 3Q Thursday, then played through it. Only later he learned he was one play away from serious damage — could have been paralyzed. "I had no idea how close I was to changing my family's life," he said.

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) October 10, 2018

Obviously, Slauson would not have continued playing if he knew the risks. The 32-year-old is fortunate that he got through the remainder of the game without further complications.

Slauson is set to become a free agent after the season, but he said he “can’t imagine playing anywhere else” outside Indy. The Colts have asked him to remain around the team and still attend practice to mentor younger offensive linemen, so the feeling sounds mutual.